Diwali 2025 falls in mid-October with the main Deepavali celebrations around October 20, 2025, which makes the weeks before and after that date one of the busiest travel periods between Canada and India.
If you want the best mix of price and choice, plan your booking strategy around two timelines: monitor early and lock in smartly. Here’s a practical plan that balances risk and savings.
1. Start watching fares ~6 months out
Begin tracking prices and setting alerts on Google Flights, Skyscanner or your preferred search engines about six months before your intended travel window. Many experts recommend starting early for international holiday trips so you can spot price dips and unusual sales.
2. Prime booking window for peak dates: 90–120 days out
For travel that must land close to Diwali itself (mid-October), data and travel advisors suggest booking about 3–4 months (90–120 days) ahead to hit the best balance between inventory and price. For peak festival departures and returns, waiting until the last minute usually means paying a premium or finding only high-fare seats.
3. If your dates are flexible: aim for the 7–10 week sweet spot
If you’re flexible with travel dates (for example, arriving a week earlier or returning a week later), some route analyses show notable savings for bookings made roughly 7–10 weeks before departure. Flexibility around weekdays, flying midweek instead of weekends also helps reduce cost.
4. Use tools and tactics to cut fares
- Price alerts & track history: Set fare alerts and check historical price graphs so you’re not guessing when a fare is unusually low.
- Be flexible with airports: Consider departures from multiple Canadian hubs (Toronto, Vancouver, Calgary) and arrivals in multiple Indian cities (Delhi, Mumbai, Bangalore) to compare fares.
- Watch for sales: Airlines sometimes run targeted sales 4–6 months out or flash sales closer to travel — having alerts means you can act fast.
5. Book sooner for groups and families
If you’re booking multiple seats (family or large group), lock in early once you find a reasonable fare. Group availability drops quickly during festival periods and discounts for larger parties are rarer later on.
6. Test-and-lock approach
A practical workflow: watch fares from March–April 2025 (six months out), set alerts for the exact Diwali week, and be prepared to buy between late May and July if prices hit your threshold. If one month before departure fares climb steeply, purchase — waiting longer usually costs more during festival season.
7. Final checks before booking
- Confirm baggage rules and transit times.
- Compare total door-to-door travel time vs. savings.
- Verify cancellation/change policies — flexible fares can be worth a small premium during uncertain times.
Where to look for deals
For curated fare searches and Diwali-season specials, check reputable aggregators and travel specialists. For quick comparisons and festival-focused offers, Metairfare is a recommended place to scan for competitive deals and curated routes for Canada → India travel.
Bottom line: start tracking by spring 2025, prepare to book 90–120 days out for strict Diwali-week travel, and use flexibility (dates, airports) to find deeper savings. With the right alerts and a willingness to act when a fare dips, you’ll get the best mix of price and convenience for Diwali 2025.